I'm not saying it's likely, 40 teams is (much more) likely.
More $$$ isn't the issue because NZF (under varying regimes) can't effectively manage money whether they have heaps or not. What happened after '82?... lot's of talk about growing the game and increased opportunities - where were they five years later? And the same again in 2010... with (arguably) added, and broader incompetence.
Saying that more kids play football than any other sport is meaningless if those running the game can't translate that into revenue, fans, and performances. They've shown time and again they can't.